Pragmatics LI 2013 Nathalie F. Martin

So What Are You Saying? Question: Would you like a burger? Answer 1: No, thank you. Answer 2: I’m on a diet. Answer 3: My husband thinks I’m fat. Answer 4: I’m a vegan. The last three answers do not give a direct answer to the questions, but the answer is implied !

SEMANTICS vs.PRAGMATICS – meaning ______________ away from users • Pragmatics: – Pragmatics is a systematic way of explaining language use in ______________ . – It seeks to explain aspects of meaning which cannot be found in the ______________ ____ of words or structures, as explained by semantics. Ex: “It is cold in here” (Implicature: request to close the window) Semantics/pragmatics distinction: not always easy to draw

PRESUPPOSITIONS What is the speaker possibly trying to say when he says: “John’s brother married that linguist.” What are the speakers _________________ : Speaker assumes that the listener knows that John has a brother (and hence not mentioned explicitly) that fact is presupposed common ground or ______________ ________(within discourse) ‘marrying’ and/or ‘whom he married’ is ____________

PRESUPPOSITIONS The police ordered the minors to stop drinking. Please take me out to the ball game again. Gisèle wants more popcorn. The captain realized that the ship was in danger.

“Have you stopped going to the gym?” IMPLICATURE “Have you stopped going to the gym?” Statements generate inferences beyond the semantic content of the sentences uttered.

Tim Hawkins on Marriage

Tim Hawkins on Marriage PRESUPPOSITIONS: I really like that dress. It reminds me of my old girlfriend’s. Presuppositions? IMPLICATURES: Hey honey, have you gained some weight in your rear end? Implicature? Where did you get those shoes? Implicature: I think they’re pretty lame! (Won’t you shut up, ‘cause) I’m trying to watch the game!

DEICTICS [daɪktɪks]  Deictic: understanding the meaning of certain words and phrases in an utterance requires __________________ Examples: as we, you, here, there, now, then, this, that, the former,  or the latter, this, that, etc. Highly context sensitive; make direct reference to the context. Personal deictic (Ex: Pronouns, ) Spatial deictic (Ex: ) Temporal deictic (Ex: )

DEICTICS The use of deictics requires knowledge of the ______________ of the ______________ : “Do you like this book?” To answer, the addressee has to know where the speaker is or points/refers to “John is here.” To know where exactly John is, we have to know where the speaker is.

DEICTICS The Son is on the right hand. I saw him standing there. Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. These are the days that are of the harvest.

Speech Act Theory John L. Austin

Speech Act Theory Speech act theory (John L. Austin) broadly explains that ______________(or speech acts) have three parts or aspects: ______________ act The key word here is act! This theory seeks to break down the act of speaking ! http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm John L. Austin's

Speech Act Theory Locutionary acts: Illocutionary force: simply the __________that has taken place Illocutionary force: are the ______________ which are ______________ by the utterance In other words : where saying equals doing. Ex: betting, pleading, declaration, welcoming, warning, etc. Perlocutionary force: are the ______________ of the utterance on the listener. http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/lang/pragmatics.htm John L. Austin's

Illocutionary and Perlocutionary Force I bet you five dollars that the Canadians win. I challenge you to a match. A dare you to step over this line. I move that we adjourn. I nominate John for president. I promise to improve. I resign!

CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS H. Paul Grice

CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS • Philosopher H. Paul ______________ • ______________ in communication: agreement by speaker and listener to cooperate in communication • Listener assumes (unless there is evidence to the contrary) that a speaker will have calculated his/her utterance along a number of principles (_______): Ex: speaker tells the truth, tries to estimate what the audience knows, etc.

The Cooperative Principles: Maxims of Conversations (Grice, 1989) Name of Maxim Description of Maxim Quantity Relevance Manner Quality

OBEYED, VIOLATED or FLOUTED • Violating maxims (Grice’s term): speaker ______ breaks them (e.g., intentionally lying) • Flouting: ______ breaking the maxims for some ____________ (e.g., sarcasm, irony, entertainment…) Distinguishing factor: we must look at a speaker’s intention!

“Have you stopped going to the gym?” Implicature Implicature “Implicature” refers to what is ___________ in an utterance, even though not expressed nor strictly implied by the utterance. “Have you stopped going to the gym?”

MAXIM OF QUALITY • Try to make your contribution one that is ______ . – Do not say what you believe is false – Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. • Example: – My children are so well-behaved –Truth: I am aware (and embarrassed) that they are not well-behaved We would know that it is : - Flouting (certain intonation) - Violating (if a lie)

MAXIM OF QUANTITY – Speaker A: What did you have for lunch today? • Make your contribution as ______________ as is required for the current purposes of the exchange (i.e., _________ or ______ informative). • Example: – Speaker A: What did you have for lunch today? – Speaker B: I had cottage cheese. Flouted or Violated: if the speaker also had pizza and banana split.

…Quantity continued • Example: – Situation: Child is allowed only 2 cookies per day. – Parent: Did you eat three cookies today? – Child: No. Flouted or violated: if the child had 4! – Speaker A: Is your daughter studying at university now? – Speaker B: She is going to classes and buying the books. Implicature: She is not studying much.

MAXIM OF RELEVANCE • Make your contributions ___________. Examples: – In response to anything: Is the Pope Catholic? – Implicature: Your question is so obvious… – Speaker A: Can you tell me the time? – Speaker B: Yes.

MAXIM OF RELEVANCE • Examples: – Speaker A: When can you hand your paper in? – Speaker B: It’s a beautiful day. – Implicature: I don’t want to answer your question. – Flouted: answer is not relevant, but hearer will catch the irrelevance; violated: speaker hopes that listener does not catch the irrelevance.

MAXIM OF MANNER • _______________ on language use : – Avoid ambiguity – Avoid obscurity – Be brief – Be orderly • Example: – Parent: Who broke the vase? – Son: It was one of your two children. – Implicature: I don’t want to answer this.

…Manner continued • Examples: – This is my mother’s husband. – Respected: mother’s husband is not speaker’s father. – Implicature: Person is speaker’s father, but speaker is mad at him – Speaker A: Does your daughter play the piano? – Speaker B: She sits at the piano and pushes the keys and the keys make noise… – Implicature: She doesn’t play well. – This also violates the Maxim of Quantity

CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURES • Conversational Maxims: not rules like phonological or syntactic rules, but rather _______________ , initial assumptions the speaker starts out with • Maxims can be violated (intentionally or unintentionally) to convey certain implicatures – Speaker A: Why are you in such a bad mood? Aren’t you happy that we’ll all go see the movie about fish? I am sure you’ll like it. – Speaker B: Sure, I’ll love it. – Implicature: I am sure I will hate it.

PRACTIC PROBLEMS Flouting or violation? Which maxim? Example 1: – Question: How long did you watch TV today? – Answer: I watched for three hours. (When in fact it had been 5 hours.) Example 2: – I love it when you make me wait for you outside in the cold weather.

PRACTIC PROBLEMS Example 3: – Question: When can you pay me back what you owe me? – Answer: I wonder how the Canadians will do this year. Example 4: – Question: Can you pick the kids up at school this afternoon? – Answer: I have piano lessons at 3pm. Example 5: – Not all students came to the party – (When in fact none of the students came)

Interpreting Silence Context: Nathalie trying to open her heart / David trying to be attentive. Nathalie: I don’t think I pray nearly enough. David: … Nathalie: As a pastor’s wife, I should pray for you more. Nathalie : Maybe I’m spiritual enough for you. Nathalie (almost in tears) : Do you really think that of me?

IMPLICATURE and CONVERSATIONAL MAXIMS Hey honey, have you gained some weight in your rear end? Implicature: You should loose weight. Conversational maxim? Obeyed, violated or flouted:? Where did you get those shoes? Implicature: I think they’re pretty lame! Obeyed, violated or flouted? (Won’t you shut up, ‘cause) I’m trying to watch the game! Implicature: Please shut up!

Conversational Maxims Now that you have learned about conversational maxims, what would you say is behind these statements? What’s up? I’m fine. You?